Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party chief and Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, died in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday morning. The accident happened while he was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati. Four others on board, including the pilots and Pawar’s security personnel, were also killed, NDTV reported.
No survivors reported
All five people on board were killed in the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Site visuals showed thick smoke and flames, with the aircraft reduced to twisted metal. Ambulances were seen rushing to nearby hospitals, though there were no survivors, NDTV said.
Ajit Pawar was 66. He was the nephew of senior politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Sharad Pawar and Sule were in Delhi for Parliament's Budget Session and are expected to leave for Pune shortly.
The plane was a Learjet 45. It belonged to Delhi-based charter company VSR, the aviation regulator confirmed.
What we know so far
The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister was travelling to Baramati. He had four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections. As visuals from the site suggest, the entire aircraft was reduced to ashes.
Details about what caused the crash are still not clear. The exact condition of the 66-year-old leader is also yet to be confirmed. On Tuesday, Pawar had been in Mumbai for a Cabinet meeting. He was flying to Baramati for a series of public meetings linked to the upcoming civic polls in Pune.
After news of the crash broke, Baramati MP and his cousin Supriya Sule left for Maharashtra from Delhi, where she was attending the Parliament's Budget session. Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, and son Parth Pawar have also headed to Baramati, India Today reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and took stock of the situation, seeking updates on the Baramati plane crash, India Today reported.
